The Vélodrome d’Esclangon UNESCO Géoparc

From the Vélodrome d’Esclangon you have a beautiful view of the geological adventure of the UNESCO Geopark of Haute-Provence and the Natural Geology Reserve of Haute-Provence in the Bès valley.

Surprising scenery

When you get to the little summit of the Serre d’Esclangon it is easier to understand how it got its name – the “vélodrome” is a geological particularity in the Bès valley which resembles a stadium containing a banked cycle-racing track.

The surprising landscape of the Vélodrome d’Esclangon was sculpted by marine deposits colliding with the uplift of the Alps around twenty million years ago when there was a beach lined with vigorous mountains.

The Vélodrome has been fascinating geologists for decades and many have worn out their boots on the paths that criss-cross it.

And in the middle of it, a miracle of balance highlighted by erosion, the Lame de Facibelle emerges.
Sedimentation and deformation go hand in hand here.